Known dental prostheses are achieved in the form of a framework in a single part made of metal or composite material (WO-A-8,904,640) or resin, or with a generally metallic shell or armature covered with ceramic or resin. Also FR-A-2,588,181 recommends the use of composite material to achieve posts for inlays cores, shells, bridges or implants.
In the former art, it was always sought to manufacture these prostheses, and more particularly their internal constituting elements (shells, metallic frameworks, posts, shells . . . ), from as rigid materials as possible. Thus, WO-A-8,904,640 recommends that dental prostheses be manufactured from a composite material with a greater rigidity and strength and more generally with higher mechanical characteristics than those of the polymers generally used. More particularly, this document recommends that a composite material with an elasticity modulus higher than 3.45 GPa be used. Also, FR-A-2,588,181 recommends the use of composite materials reinforced by high strength fibers, notably carbon fibers with a matrix more particularly made of epoxy resin or polyester in order to give the prosthesis a high stiffness. The well-known essential qualities of a tooth or of a dental prosthesis are in fact on the one hand not to break due to the effect of impacts and on the other hand not to wear too quickly. But up to now it has essentially been sought to strengthen the rigidity of the prostheses in order to achieve these qualities.
Nevertheless, entirely metallic prostheses are unaesthetic, prostheses made entirely from resin prove fragile in use, those achieved by a metallic shell or armature covered with ceramic are extremely costly, long and delicate to manufacture, and those achieved from a metallic framework or armature covered with a resin are also long to manufacture and subject to deterioration in use on account of the poor adherence of the resin on the metal armatures or shells and of the concentration of the stresses at the interfaces of materials having very different mechanical characteristics (metal/resin).